January 2009 - The Jewish Center

Transcription

TEVET / SHEVAT 5769
January Highlights
Annual Fund Progress
Israel Affairs Events
Adult Ed Spring Courses
Youth Programs
Israel Affairs Committee
pg. 5
pg. 18
pg. 20
pg. 22
pg. 24
RABBI’S MESSAGE
January 2009 • Vol. 114 No. 1
A Time of Celebration!
SERVICE SCHEDULE
I still remember the day of my ordination from Rabbinical school.
It was nearly ten years ago when I was given the title Rabbi which
was the fulfillment of a personal dream that began when I was a
teenager. For so many years, I thought about the role a Rabbi
serves in a congregation and in a community and learned a great
deal from my Rabbinic role models over time. When a member of
a congregation becomes a Rabbi, the congregation is filled with a sense of pride and has
reason to celebrate.
Here at The Jewish Center, we have such an opportunity before us. Rabbi Abigail Treu
was recently ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. Her
parents, Marissa and Jesse Treu, are very involved in our congregation and our greater
Jewish community, and they are quite proud of their daughter’s accomplishment and the
contributions she is now making in her Rabbinic career. On Shabbat morning, January
10, we will have the opportunity to celebrate with the Treu family and honor Rabbi Treu
and the role The Jewish Center played in her Jewish education.
Rabbi Treu was a student in our Religious School and became a Bat Mitzvah on our
bimah. She was involved in many activities at The Jewish
(continued on page 2)
Shabbat Worship Schedule
Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 9:45 a.m.
Library Service
Saturday, January 10, 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Junior Congregation - (Shabbat Layeladim)
Saturday, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
at 10:30 a.m.
Mini Minyan - (Shabbat Latze’eerim)
Saturday, January 3, 17, 24, 31 at 10:30 a.m.
Family Service - (Shabbat Lamishpachah)
Saturday, January 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Tot Shabbat - (Shabbat Lataf)
Saturday, January 3, 17 at 11 a.m.
Midweek Minyan Schedule
Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday at 7 a.m.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Complaints
When Senator Joe
Lieberman was on
the Presidential campaign trail in 2000,
T’lunot
he attended Shabbat
services at a local synagogue, as he
always did when he was on the road.
After services, while standing with the
synagogue’s president and greeting congregants, someone asked the senator if he was a
bissel meshugah - a little bit crazy - to run for vice President. Senator Lieberman
responded, “You don’t have to be crazy to run for President or Vice President of the
United States, but you absolutely have to be crazy to be a shul president.”
This is the reality for many synagogue presidents around the country (as I have heard
from other synagogue presidents through United Synagogue channels), and was also a
reality for some of my predecessors here at TJC - and we are all indebted to their service
through challenging times. But I have to confess that this role has been a gratifying
experience for me... so far.
People sometimes half-jokingly come to me and express their “condolences” for being
president. They think that my days are consumed by answering complaints from angry
congregants; fortunately that is not the case. Sure, I have gotten a few complaints, but
literally just a few in the last year and a half. Why am I making mention of this? I figured
that if some people think I am inundated with complaints they may hesitate to share
their thoughts on synagogue matters with me. That represents a
problem on a number of levels.
(continued on pg. 2)
BAR/BAT MITZVAH SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 10
Bat Mitzvah of Martine Appel
daughter of Marilyn Besner and
Fred Appel 9:45 a.m.
SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING
January 2
January 9
January 16
January 23
January 30
➤
➤
➤
➤
➤
4:25 p.m.
4:32 p.m.
4:39 p.m.
4:47 p.m.
4:56 p.m.
Rabbi’s Message (continued from pg. 1)
Center during her teenage years and developed a close relationship with Rabbi Elkins
and Cantor Freedman; both served as wonderful teachers and role models to Rabbi
Treu. During college she was involved in
the Jewish community on campus and
then worked professionally for a number of
years, both in the Jewish community and
in the secular world before starting her
studies at JTS. During her years there, in
addition to her studies she served as a
leader of the High Holidays services, an
honor for which only a few people are chosen every year.
10 for Shabbat when she will be speaking
to the congregation and leading us in parts
of the service.
This is a very special time for us when
one of our own has become a Rabbi. I have
known Rabbi Treu and her family since I
came to The Jewish Center and I am very
proud for her and for us. I am sure that
the people who have known her for many
more years have similar feelings. Rabbi
Tucker also has a special connection to
Rabbi Treu because they were Hevruta
study partners during their time together
at JTS and they remain good friends today.
Rabbi Treu is a gifted teacher with an
engaging personality, and currently uses
those skills in the development office at
JTS where she serves as Director of Donor
Relations and Planned Giving. We are
thrilled that she will be with us on January
When I speak with our B’nai Mitzvah students about their involvement at The
Jewish Center and their Jewish future, I
often think that some of them may have a
future on the bimah where they could
serve their Jewish community as a Rabbi
President’s Message (continued from pg. 1)
thing. We have differences in religious
identity, ritual practice, educational
approaches, financial priorities, and almost
any facet of our TJC lives. Such differences
exist within our individual families and
community, so it is not surprising that
they exist within a broader synagogue family as well. It is also natural that the more
you get involved at TJC (as with any other
synagogue or organization), the more likely you will find things you don’t like. But
the more involved you get, the more you
will also find it rewarding. This is even
true in personal relationships; the closer
we are to others, the more we experience
traits or behaviors that we don’t particularly care for. We don’t notice the quirks in
strangers that we see, perhaps all too clearly, in those with which we are close such as
friends and family. But what’s the alternative - to not form such bonds? Of course
not. We wouldn’t want to live without the
good that far outweighs the bad.
Along these lines, I especially want to
comment on a few situations where our
hardworking and dedicated Annual Fund
co-chairs have told me that members have
declined to contribute to the Annual Fund
because of a complaint or issue they have
with something at TJC. As I have written, I
can understand and accept that everyone is
not going to agree with everything we do.
There are things at TJC that I personally do
not favor, even things I have helped enact
while I have been president because I know
that they are best for the majority and
greater good of the synagogue. But I ask
that one never hold back essential
fundraising contributions or any type of
First and foremost, it is important that
you feel welcome to share any comments,
suggestions, and yes, even complaints with
me, our other lay leaders, and our staff.
These discussions almost always lead to
mutual understanding, and many times to
new ideas and improvements to our synagogue. I have been enriched by the ideas
and experiences of others, and am always
open to more. Fortunately, almost all of
the complaints I have received have been
respectful, open minded, and with the
underlying appreciation that our lay leaders are well intentioned, have additional
background on many issues that may not
be widely known, and try to serve the best
interests of the entire synagogue.
Second, from the rare instances where
the interactions were more like complaints
than comments, I have found that the
complaint was not due to a single situation. Instead it often stems from a series of
ongoing events or issues: a problem may
be experienced that was not addressed ... a
question may arise that is not asked. These
unresolved issues fester and taint one’s
perspective of subsequent situations. Many
times resolving such instances can avoid a
sequence of further disappointment. This
is especially the case when a complaint is
based on a misunderstanding, and discussing a broader background or perspective on the matter with me or other leaders
and staff can help relieve a negative
impression before it intensifies.
That being said, we are a large and diverse
synagogue. We will not all agree on every2
or Cantor. The clergy of TJC take these
relationships seriously and we understand
the influence we may have on these young
people at this impressionable time in their
life. With role models like Rabbi Treu, the
students in our Religious School may
think of these possibilities; I encourage
them to be with us for this special Shabbat.
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Treu, to her parents
Marissa and Jesse and to our entire congregation. This is reason for us to celebrate!
Rabbi Adam Feldman
Rabbi Feldman may be reached at
afeldman@thejewishcenter.org or
609-921-0100, ext. 203.
attendance and involvement at TJC due to
an objection with a limited aspect of the
synagogue. That takes away from our ability to maintain all of the many elements of
our congregation you appreciate, and our
capacity to move forward.
I understand that complaints come from
people who also care for TJC. A synagogue
is not a country club, university, gym, or
just any organization. It is a symbol of our
identity as Jews. We entrust TJC to educate
our children. We experience lifecycle events
here. It is an extension of our lives and
homes. No wonder it can be the focus of
strong opinions. The trick is to channel
these strong opinions to positive outcomes.
And in the months I have left to serve this
role, I want to remind you that I am not
overwhelmed with complaints, as some
might assume. If there is something you
want to share with me that can result in you
having a more positive relationship with our
synagogue, please know that I am proud to
be your partner in listening to your comments, learning from you, and working to
achieve the most satisfaction possible from
your involvement at TJC, before anything
approaches the level of a complaint.
L’hitraot,
Michael Feldstein
TJC President
The Jewish Center Newsletter is a monthly publication of The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540
CANTOR’S Notes
“Thank You” “You’re Welcome”
My first “official”
act of 2009 is to
offer a very sincere
and
heartfelt
“Thank You” to all
who extended best
wishes and Mazel
Tov to me on the occasion of being awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree
from The Jewish Theological Seminary on
December 9, 2008. “Thank You” also to
the twenty-five members of our congregation who made the trek to 122nd and
Broadway to JTS to be there for the
Convocation (please see picture below).
I want to express my most sincere
appreciation to Rabbis Feldman and
Tucker, Fran Amir, Neil Wise and the
other members of the wonderful staff
with whom I serve at TJC. I can’t explain
how warm it made me feel when I
approached JTS Provost Dr. Alan Cooper
to accept my degree and heard the
cheers and applause of my wonderful
congregants and colleagues from
Princeton. I was blessed with the largest
group of supporters in attendance of any
of my thirty cantorial colleagues. How
proud I was! “Thank You”!
“You’re Welcome” to come with me from
June 29-July 14 on an extraordinary
Poland/Israel Mission under the auspices
of the Cantors Assembly. “You’re
Welcome” to join thirty-five cantors who
are bringing groups from their congregations and communities to help rebuild
cultural bridges between the Jewish
People and Poland. “You’re Welcome” to
see and experience 1000 years of Jewish
life in Poland. This year will mark the
70th anniversary of the beginning of the
Second World War and the destruction
and devastation of those 1000 years of history. “You’re Welcome” to see, sense and
help us fan the flames rising from those
ashes that will herald new beginnings of
Jewish communities in Poland. We will
then continue on to Israel where you will
experience the miracle of Jewish rebirth
first hand in that amazing country. Our
group is now forming. “You’re Welcome”
to contact me any time for details.
May the New Year of 2009 be one of gratitude for our blessings, rich in new opportunities and experiences enjoyed in good
health and peace.
B’shalom,
Cantor Murray E. Simon
Summary of November 2008 Board of Trustees Meeting
A. Announced the Nominating
Committee.
B. Read Proclamation for students who
went to Biloxi.
C. Gave status on Facility Task
Force: committee to be formed by
end of 2008.
D. Discussed the Keruv (Interfaith)
meeting in November, which had a
good turnout and many good suggestions to consider.
E. Summarized the baby-boomer meeting: also a good turnout and lots of
good ideas discussed.
F. Thanked the Jewish Center Women
for a gift they are giving the Jewish
Center to construct improvements
to the gift shop. The EC approved
the gift pursuant to our gift policy;
the house committee will be
involved in the planning of all physical alterations; going forward there
will be tight control over the gift
shop’s finances.
G. Long Term Strategic Plan Pod
Reports: the VPs will pass out the
Pod Reports to each committee and
ask them to use them as a blue print
for programming going forward.
H. VPs gave their reports on upcoming programs; finances; needs;
annual fund.
I. Old business: very successful book fair
and gift fairs which produces sales in
the same range as past two years.
J. New business: Women’s Retreat
planned for April 24 and 25.
3
RABBI TUCKER’S MESSAGE
As some of you
have heard me
speak before about
Elliot Goldberg, the
twenty-four year
old rabbinical student who was first
my Rosh Edah
(unit head) and
then my Israel Seminar leader when I was
a teenager at Camp Ramah. Elliot had
long hair and an earring, wore dirty
Converse high-tops and tie-dyed t-shirts,
and had two passions in life - Judaism and
the Grateful Dead. While I would like to
believe that my initial attraction to Jewish
involvement came from recognizing the
power and wisdom of our tradition, it is
just as likely that my enthusiasm for
Jewish life came from having an accessible
and inspiring role model - and it didn’t
hurt that he was extremely cool! While
texts and experiences can often be exciting,
there is nothing like a person to bring us
into Jewish involvement.
It has been just over one year since Neil
Wise, our Director of Youth and Family
Programming, joined The Jewish Center
staff and I can tell you that in this very
short time he has had the same impact on
our young people as Elliot Goldberg had
on me so many years ago. In the past
twelve months Neil has begun to re-invigorate our youth programming, with events
ranging from a back-to-school bonfire and
laser tag, to dinner with Danny Siegel and
our highly anticipated Youth Musical. On
Erev Thanksgiving, over 80 children participated in TJC Youth programs, with our
youngest students staying at the synagogue for movies and mitzvah projects
while our teens headed off to the Regional
Turkey Trot.
Neil has also brought two different
regional conventions to TJC including the
highly coveted Leadership Training
Institute and has garnered our chapter
regional recognition for being the most
“Up and Coming Chapter” and for largest
membership increase. With an incredible
student board led by Carolyn Reiff and her
twelve officers, our synagogue’s
USY(United Synagogue Youth) chapter is
fast becoming one of the strongest in the
region. There is no telling where we will
go next!
4
While Neil has had tremendous success
with our young people, his portfolio also
extends to programming for the entire
synagogue community. Neil serves as a
resource to Jewish Center Women, helping
them with their Sukkot Membership
Dinner and other events, and to the Men’s
Club, where he partners with them in
organizing the annual Super Bowl Party
and other such programs. Under his direction Silver Circle has planned a full calendar of monthly events ranging from breakfasts with the rabbis to fitness programs,
trips to see local theater, and more. Neil is
also the driving force behind synagoguewide programming like the Back to Shul
Barbeque, the Purim Carnival and other
festivities, Yom HaAtzmaut (along with our
excellent Ritual Director, Gila Levin), our
Simchat Torah party, last month’s Latke
and Vodka soiree, and so much more. In a
very short time, he has elevated the quality
and “it” factor of our programming - taking them to an entirely different level of
creativity, professionalism, and fun. If you
have ideas for new events that you would
like to see at our synagogue, his door his
always open!
It is indeed personality and not programming that truly brings most people
into Jewish life, and in that aspect as well
Neil’s presence here at The Jewish Center
has added so much to our community
and especially to our youth. As someone
who sits across the hall from his office, I
can tell you that our young people are
constantly coming in and out - grabbing
pretzels from Neil’s endless food supply,
stopping by just to check in, hanging out
before Hebrew School or during the
break between classes. I hope I will not
embarrass the religious school student
who spontaneously remarked to his
father the other day, “The Jewish Center
has gotten to be so much more fun since
Neil’s been here.”
Anniversaries are wonderful times to recognize and acknowledge, and as we mark
Neil’s first year here at TJC, we celebrate
the incredible programming he has
brought to our youth and to our community as a whole. May he be here for many
more years to come!
B’Shalom,
Rabbi Annie Tucker
Challah
Challah
Challah
We hope
everyone
has been
enjoying
their
Zomick’s
challah for
their home Shabbat celebrations.
We begin our second session of
challah delivery for Shabbat,
February 6 and continuing for
fifteen weeks through May 29.
The Shabbat dates
are as follows:
February 6, 13, 20, 27
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 3, 24
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
(Delivery comes Wednesday mornings before each Shabbat and
may be picked up any time before
3 p.m. on Friday).
The cost for the challah is $4.75. If
you are interested in purchasing
challah for this session, please
make checks payable to The
Jewish Center in the amount of
$71.25 for the fifteen weeks.
Attach your check to the order
form below and bring it to the
School Office no later than
Wednesday, January 20.
Thank you, Gayle
Name
_____________________________
Child’s Class
_____________________________
or check here if picking up in the
Synagogue office ____
Amount enclosed _________
Annual Fund
Report
Are We Two-Thirds Towards or
One-Third Away From Our Goal?
The Annual Fund is in its third year.
Almost every month since the fund’s inception, there has been an article in this
newsletter. In general, these articles have
been upbeat encouraging, and optimistic until now.
Why? Because the answer the question
posed in the headline is “yes.” We are both
two-thirds towards and one-third away
from. However, the Annual Fund
Committee is very concerned about raising
that final third. If we don’t raise that final
third, the scope and quality of The Jewish
Center (TJC) operations are going to be
affected for the balance of this fiscal year,
as well as next.
As of December 12th, 278 congregant
units contributed or pledged $229,682. In
addition, the Jewish Center Women, for
the first time as a group, generously
pledged another $5,400. That brought the
total to $235,082, two-thirds of our goal of
$350,000. Sounds good, correct? So why
the question and the doubt?
In the first year of the Annual Fund, 47%
of the congregation contributed over
$287,000. Last year, 54% contributed over
$304,000. So far, only 39% of the congregation has contributed or pledged. The
average contribution has been $826. It
would take another 139 congregant units
contributing at that average for us to reach
our goal.
Can that happen? Sure, if the economic
conditions were favorable. However, as we
know, they are not. By this time last year,
more than 48% of the congregation had
contributed or pledged. That was 89% of
our total contributors. Many who contributed after the start of the new calendar
year were congregants waiting to learn how
large their year-end bonuses were going to
be. That picture has changed.
During our two-evening November
phonathon, we heard several stories of one
or both spouses having lost their jobs, of
past ardent supporters having to re-evaluate their contribution levels, and so on.
Thus, the concern over reaching our goal.
We’re two-thirds there, but that last third
is going to be difficult.
Now, more than ever before, we need you
to step up. Contribute what you can, but
please contribute. Please Support The
Jewish Center of Our Lives!
You can pledge/contribute in a variety
of ways:
• E-mail to TheAnnualFund@thejewishcenter.org;
• Go to www.thejewishcenter.org, click
on “Giving,” click on “Annual Fund,”
enter the amount and click “charge.”
• Send your contribution check to TJC.
Todah Rabbah,
The Annual Fund Committee
Stu Axelrod, Co-Chair
Walt Meyer, Co-Chair
Below is the list of contributors between
November 15 and December 12. Our most
sincere thanks to all of them:
Herbert and Fay Abelson
Ira and Susan Akselrad
Joan Alpert
Neta Bahcall
Steven and Shelley Barnett
Teddy Bartels
Jeremy and Jennifer Black
Arthur and Lauren Blick
Paul and Carole Braun
The Carchman Family
Roland Chen and Sarah Gooen Chen
Stephen and Susan Couture
Norman and Roz Denard
Paul and Kiu Deutsch
Marion Epstein
Stephen and Maxine Farmer
Richard and Sheryl Feinstein
Rabbi Adam Feldman and Sara Bucholtz
Ronald and Emily Freudenberger
Seymour and Dorothy Friedman
Bob and Eileen Garber
Antoine and Noemie Gerschel
Benjamin Glasser and Jacqueline Berger
Saul and Barbara Goldwasser
David Goldberg and Wilma Solomon
Sidney Goldfarb and Naomi Vilko
Larry and Joan Goodman
Alvin and Felice Gordon
Andrew Greenberg and Tess Kline
Jonathan and Susan Gross
Herb and Maxine Gurk
Jewish Center Women
Robert Karp and Linda Oppenheim
Ruth Klein
Scott and Debra Krutan
Jerry and Phyllis Kurshan
Amy Lebowitz
Neil and Nancy Lewis
Josh Lichtblau and Linda Schwimmer
David and Marci Lieberman
Diane Lieberman
Martha Liebman
James and Roxanne List
Harold and Susan Loew
David and Rosalie Markowitz
Jack and Sheila Marrero
Arthur and Arlene Miller
Jeffrey and Lisa Miller
Stanley and Rita Millner
Nelson Obus and Eve Coulson
Simon and Melissa Pankove
Eric and Laura Perlman
George and Ellen Pristach
Robert and Julie Ramirez
James Rosenberg
Sherry Rosen
Stephen and Susan Rosen
Jan and Lois Safer
Jacob and Cynthia Sage
Maurice and Brigitte Sasson
Jeffrey Savlov and Monica Blum
Paulina Schmer
Jay and Ginger Schnitzer
Ken and Ellie Schweber
Robert and Carol Schwartz
Fredrick and Mitzi Seinfeld
Marge Shakun
Rabbi David and Ziona Silverman
Kenneth and Hillary Silverstein
Cantor Murray and Toby Simon
Richard and Helane Staller
Paul and Nancy Steinhardt
Beverly Surrey
Mark and Elana Tenenzapf
Mark and Lisa Tobias
Daniel Wagner and Meryl Baurmash
Alan and Robin Wallack
Bob and Linda Weber
Harlan and Sally Weisman
Ron and Kimberly Weiss
Bobby Willig and Ginny Mason
Ned Wingreen and Rachelle Simon
Jack and Maryann Yarin
Julian and Nora Zelizer
YOUR
Jewish Center
Annual Fund
Needs
YOUR Help
NOW!
5
Jewish Center Women
JEWISH CENTER WOMEN
Presents
Stitch & Kvetch
2009
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
A Group for Needlework and Community Service
Join Us in December
January 15
Cooking Demonstration/Sustainability
Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m.
January 24 JCW Shabbat
Home of Martha Friedman
96 Jefferson Road, Princeton 08540 609-683-1888
All Skill Levels are Welcome
Knitting, Crochet, Needlepoint, Cross Stitch, Embroidery
For hundreds of years, women have gathered to knit and sew and
chat, while creating beautiful items for their families and neighbors.
In that Tradition . . .
We will teach and learn from one another. We will discuss various
community service projects that can benefit from our talents and
efforts. Future meetings will be scheduled in members’ homes.
RSVP to Carole Braun, 609-497-3405 or cbraunnj@aol.com
A Program of Jewish Center Women at The Jewish Center of Princeton
February 1 JCW Lilmod:
Torah Study with Leora Batnitzky
Feb/Mar TBA
Chico's Wardrobe Night
March 15 JCW Lilmod:
Torah Study with Rabbi Feldman
March 25
Spring Trip
March 29 JCW Lilmod:
Torah Study with Rabbi Roth
April TBA
JCW Spring Membership Luncheon
May 29
JCW Lilmod:
Torah Study with Rabbi Tucker
Jewish Center Women
and TJC Sustainability Committee
Invite You to an Evening of
CLASSY KOSHER COOKING
Thursday, January 15 7- 9 p.m.
Cyndi Kleinbart’s Kitchen
6 Littlebrook Road, Princeton
Featuring: Sandy Stollar,
After working at the Russian Tea Room and Osteria del Circo, Sandy Stollar, a graduate of the CIA, recently decided to become a personal chef. Her
clientele includes Jersey housewives who want to expand their knife skills, NYC dinner parties, and workaholics too busy to feed themselves. Stollar
also teaches cooking classes at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts in Brooklyn.
Members: $40
Non-Members: $50
JCW/Sustainability Committee Cooking Event - January 15 Reservation
Name___________________________________________________________________
Number of Attendees __________ @ $ ____ pp
Total Enclosed _____________
Make checks payable to Jewish Center Women. Reservations must be received by ___________.
Questions? Contact Cyndi at ckleinbart@comcast.net.
6
WO M E N
JEWISH CENTER
January is always a very special month
for women at The Jewish Center because
it is our opportunity to have the honor of
leading the Shabbat morning service.
Please join us on January 24 at 9:45 am.
Our theme for this service is “Eshet
Cahavil Achshav....Women of Valor
Today.” Gather with many of the Jewish
Center’s extraordinary women who will
lead us and participate in this spiritual
and inspiring morning. You are also
invited to our Kiddush luncheon immediately following the service.
Our healing afghan keeps growing and so
does our “Stitch and Kvetch” knitting
group! As we continue to build this important piece of work, we also continue the
tradition of women gathering to knit and
sew as we kibbitz, eat and learn more
about each other. Many thanks to Sally
Steinberg-Brent for warmly welcoming
last month’s knitters into her home. Our
next meeting will be on January 13 at 7:30
p.m. at the home of Martha Friedman, 96
Jefferson Road in Princeton. A relaxing,
intimate evening with friends is always
good, so please join us! All experience levels are welcome, including beginners.
JCW is proud to represent The Jewish
Center along with the Princeton Clergy
Association as a major source of support
for Womanspace, a non-profit agency in
Mercer County serving victims of domestic
violence and sexual assault. Much appreciation to all who joined us on December 11
for our Annual “Service of Light and Hope”
in helping us raise awareness of this critical social concern.
“Stimulating, educational, inspiring and
not enough time!” If you attended any of
our JCW Lilmod Sunday morning study
sessions you will agree with that description. Thank you to Rabbi Tucker for opening up our eyes to a new “light” as we discussed the many debates about what the
miracle of Chanukah really is. The group
also enjoyed sharing with each other our
most memorable Chanukah memories.
We look forward to welcoming Leora
Batnitzky as one of our new leaders of JCW
Lilmod on Sunday, February 1. Refer to
the announcement on this page for details
on time, location and topic.
Would you like to enjoy a relaxing night
out with fresh, locally grown healthy food,
great wine and good friends? Please join
us on Thursday, January 15 as we team up
with TJC’s Sustainability Committee to
present a cooking demonstration featuring
personal chef Sandy Stollar, “the Kosher
Tomato.” Cyndi Kleinbart has graciously
offered her home for this event. Please
see the invitation on page 6 for more
information on time, location and to
learn more about Sandy, or go to
<thekoshertomato.com> for her complete
résumé.
We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events. Several more programs are in
the planning stages. In the meantime,
please refer to our calendar of events below
to save the date for your favorites.
Any questions or comments? Contact
Anne Rutman at 609-730-8166;
jrskiapr@aol.com or Amy Berk at 908-4314353; dasb9999@yahoo.com
B’Shalom,
Anne Rutman
Amy Berk
Co-Chairs, Jewish Center Women
Please RSVP
Debra Kestenbaum • 609-771-1710 • dmkestenbaum@mac.com
Judy Kutin • 609-683-4199 • MrsKutin@gmail.com
A Program of Jewish Center Women at The Jewish Center of Princeton
7
Nursery News
Shalom!
Shalom and
Happy 2009! I
hope you all
enjoyed a family-fun-filled
Chanukah with
memories to
last throughout
the year.
You’re probably asking yourself, “What
does January bring for the Nursery
School”? Well, I’ll tell you:
• It brings new student registration for
the 2009-2010 school year, as we prepare
contracts and plan ahead for the number
of students who will be joining us in
September.
• It brings 2009 summer camp,
Machaneynu registration, and planning
for fun under the sun.
• It brings an In-House Teacher
Workshop with Rabbi Tucker.
• It brings “Safe and Sure,” a safety program for our pre-K students.
• It brings the second session of
Enrichment Classes along with two new
ones being offered: Travelin’ Tumblers for
our T’chelet and M/W/F Tourkeys and
Tzahov students and a new Arts and
Crafts class for students in our 3 and 4
year old classes.
• It brings a very special School Wide
Shabbat at the end of the month with a
visit from Lisa Apel, a Jewish story teller
who tells her stories while performing
gymnastic moves!
• It brings our youngest and newest students to our January K’Tontonim class,
which is still accepting applicants. Call
the office for more information about this
class for 12-24 month olds.
• It brings new Challah orders for the
remainder of the school year. Please
see the order form on page 4 and
return it to the Nursery School office to
be a recipient of our Shabbat Challah
delivery.
• It brings “Mom’s the Word,” a night
out for moms of all ages, on Thursday
evening, February 19. Save the date,
bring a friend, sister and/or your mother,
for comical relief about the everyday
events in the life of a mom. It’s sure to
make you laugh.
The Nursery School hits 2009 running
and always looking ahead. Be a part of
the fun. See you around the school!
B’Shalom,
Gayle Wagner
MACHANEYNU
(OUR CAMP)
IS COMING!
Our summer camp program will once
again bring fun and laughter into your
child’s summer.
June 22 - August 7
Registration forms are available in the school office For information contact Gayle Wagner.
Receive a $25 discount off camp tuition when using
the original coupon found in our Silent Auction
Booklet or by registering by January 15!
MACHANEYNU (OUR CAMP) 2009
THE JOAN LEVIN NURSERY SCHOOL
at The Jewish Center
435 Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Phone: (609) 921-7207 Fax: (609) 921-7531
Email: gwagner@thejewishcenter.org
Gayle Wagner, Director
8
January 10
Rabbi Abigail Treu
The Congregation is invited to attend
“Out of Spain”
A Morning of Sephardic History and Culture
with Andrée Aelion Brooks
Will deliver the
Shabbat Sermon
ge
The congregation is Invited to the
Kiddush Luncheon
Co-sponsored by Her Parents
renowned author and lecturer
Sunday, January 25
9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
sponsored by The Religious School
Religious
School news
Shalom Bayit
Shalom Bayit can be simply defined as
peace in the home. In the Religious
School we teach children the value of
Shalom Bayit in terms of sibling and
parental relationships; words like respect,
compromise, compassion and understanding are discussed in the context of
getting along with family members and
keeping things peaceful at home. In the
adult community, Shalom Bayit takes on
the added concept of household harmony
and good relations between husband and
wife. Sadly, sometimes these relationships
are not harmonious and domestic abuse
and/or violence occurs.
Last month, Project Sarah of Jewish
Family and Children’s Service, supported
by the Religious Schools, Board of Rabbis,
local educational institutions and social
agencies, sponsored a community-wide
program addressing domestic violence
from the male perspective. The speaker
was Jackson Katz, author of The Macho
Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt
Women and How All Men Can Help.
Katz’s intended audience was men and the
event was promoted to the men in our
community. I am proud to say that The
Jewish Center was well represented in the
audience. It was a Tichon activity and we
provided a bus so that most of the male
Tichon students, accompanied by their
dads and male teachers, were able to
attend either of the two programs. Rabbi
Feldman attended as well and some of us
attended the professional workshop the
next day.
Katz’s premise defies current verbiage
that domestic violence is a women’s issue.
Since statistics show that 99% of domestic violence and 90% of violence in general is perpetrated by men, Katz argues that
it is a male issue and that prevention has
to come from changing cultural and male
behavioral patterns rather than the current practice of teaching women and girls
defensive strategies for “risk reduction.”
His hope is to spread his message where
men and boys gather - through athletic
teams, fraternity houses and in the military - and that curricula to prevent
domestic violence be mandatory in
schools as drug and alcohol prevention
programs have become. Katz also addresses the “bystander” issue and encourages
“good guys” to stand up and make sure
that their friends, teammates and coworkers do not engage in abusive activities.
The evening of the Katz program, the
Religious School also sponsored a program for the Tichon girls at The Jewish
Center. Project Sarah counselors Lori
Simon, Andrea Gaynor and Gail Rose conducted a program on Dating and Abusive
Relationships in Teens. The girls were
given scenarios to analyze and a thoughtful discussion took place with Rabbi
Tucker and the female Tichon staff.
Katz’s presentations also focused on the
media and the culture of violence that
exists in our society. He showed film clips
and other media presentations to illus-
In Honor of
Her Ordination
May 2008
trate how they tend to desensitize us to
violence and abuse, and as a result, they
become matter of fact to too many. As
educators, parents and spouses, we need
to use our influence get back to the values
of Shalom Bayit - of respect, compromise,
compassion and understanding. If there is
no Shalom Bayit in the home, there can
be no Shalom Bayit in the community, in
the nation or in the world.
B’Shalom,
Fran Amir
January Activities
Saturday, January 3
Youth Services resume
Sunday, January 4
Religious School resumes
Thursday, January 8
School Committee at 7:45 p.m.
Shabbat HaMishpacha: Family Service
Sunday, January 18
No School: Martin Luther King Weekend
Monday, January 19
Community MLK Service at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 24
Vav Family Program: Out of Spain with
Andree Alion Brooks
Thursday, January 29
Teacher Professional Development - no
Religious School
Teen Shabbat
9
Be COOL
Come to SHUL!
Children’s Services Schedule
January 3
Shabbat Lataf (Tot Shabbat - preschool)
Shabbat Latze'eerim (Mini Minyan - K-2nd
grade)
Shabbat Layeladim (Jr. Congregation - 3rd - 5th
grade)
Vav Seminar
Zayin Torah Class
January 10
Shabbat Mishpachah (Family Service for
Preschool-2nd grade)
Shabbat Layeladim (Heh Late I will lead)
Zayin Torah Class
January 17
Shabbat Lataf
Shabbat Latze'eerim
Shabbat Layeladim
Vav Seminar
Zayin Torah Class
January 24
Shabbat Latze'eerim
Shabbat Layeladim (Dalet Late II will lead)
Zayin Torah Class
January 31
Shabbat Latze'eerim
Shabbat Layeladim (Gimmel Late II will lead)
Zayin Torah Class
How to Receive Credit for Services:
Religious School and Day School Students
(Grades K-5, Vav on Shabbat when Vav Seminar
is not held)
1. Remove child’s card from index card box in
the front lobby
2. Deposit card in receptacle (Do not write on
the card. Date will be recorded after
Shabbat)
Vav: Attendance will be taken at the Vav Seminar.
Zayin: Attendance will be recorded in the Zayin
Torah class.
Mazal Tov to the Following Minyanaires and
Mini-Minyanaires:
Jacob Polly Noah Chen
Ilan Schindler Talia Feldman
Dena Feldman Shira Black
Sophia Zelizer
If you would like to sponsor an Oneg at any of
the above services in honor of your child's birthday or another special occasion, please contact
Ellen Pristach for further information.
10
Jewish Center Women
presents
Shalach Manot
Baskets
There are three mitzvot of
Purim:
1. Sending mishloach manot baskets
to friends and family
2. Giving tzedakah
3. Hearing the reading of the Megillah
You can accomplish two of these three
mitzvot just by participating!
2009 Shalach Manot order
forms are in the mail.
Orders due by February 15
Questions? Contact the JCW
Shalach Manot Chairs
Anne Rutman at 609-7308166; jrskiapr@aol.com
Amy Berk at 908-431-4353;
dasb9999@yahoo.com
Library
It’s a new year. We
trust that one of
your resolutions is
to make better use of
your Jewish Center
Library. The computerized catalog will help you even if you are
new to the computer. Instructions for its
use are simple and are taped to the desk.
Recent acquisitions:
Christopher Columbus’s Jewish
Roots by Jane Frances Amler. Not only a
thorough examination of the title subject,
but a well-researched study of the times
and the Jewish community that existed
then in Spain.
Confessions of a Good Arab by
Yoram Kaniuk. A novel detailing the
dilemma and tragedy of an Arab scion
who is also a refugee from Nazi Germany.
Gift of Elana Tenenzapf.
Scheisshaus Luck by Pierre Berg.
Surviving the unspeakable in Auschwitz
and Dora as told by a French Gentile
Holocaust survivor.
Churchill’s Promised Land:
Zionism and Statecraft by Michael
Makovsky. Winston Churchill’s relationship with Zionism throughout his
long political career. Number Our Days
by Barbara Myerhoff. An anthropologist
studies aging among the joyful members of a Jewish Community Center in
southern California. Gift of the
Dubrovsky family.
Women’s Reading
group
We will meet on Monday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m.
in the Youth Lounge to discuss The Girl from
Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten
Histories, and a Sense of Home by Sadia Shepard. The book is a
memoir of a young Muslim-Christian woman who travels to India to
learn about her Muslim grandmother who had been born Jewish, a
descendant of the Bene Israel tribe. The book has been called a
“stunningly written and unforgettably evocative story.”
All of our books can be ordered online through TJC website at
<www.thejewishcenter.org> where you can click on the Amazon link
to earn a commission for the synagogue. Multiple copies of our
selections are also available at Borders Bookstore and at the
Princeton Public Library on the “Book Club” table by the entrance.
For a list of previous books or for other information, please contact
Louise Sandburg at louise@sandsmith.com.
Mazel Tov
To Karen and Don Polakoff, on the engagement of their daughter
Lauren to Andrew Schwartz.
Condolences
To Eric and Barry Perlman on the passing of their beloved father
Norman Perlman.
To Adam Richards on the passing of his beloved father
Harvey Richards.
Power, Faith and Fantasy by Michael
B. Oren. The remarkable story of America
in the Middle East, 1776 to the present.
Only in America: From Holocaust
to National Industry Leadership by
William Ungar. Autobiography, part two,
of the founder of National Envelope Corp.
and a remarkable success story. Gift of
Ellie Schweber.
And All Your Children Shall Be
Learned by Shoshana Pantel Zolty.
Women and the study of Torah in Jewish
law and history.
YONI STADLIN WINS
MAJOR GRANT
Yoni Stadlin, son of Rabbi and Mrs. Dov
Peretz Elkins, is the recipient of a major grant
from the Jewish Camping Association to
establish a new summer camp based on spirituality, the environment and Judaism. Yoni
has a master’s degree from the Davidson
School of Jewish Education of the Jewish
Theological Seminary. He was recently married, and is currently assembling staff and
recruiting campers for the opening season in
summer 2010. The camp is located in Upper
New York State. For more information contact: YoniStadlin@gmail.com
Mazal Tov to Yoni and the Elkins family!
50 Princeton Hightstown Road
Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Owned & Operated by NRT LLC
Cindy Urken, Sales Associate
Office: 609-799-8181 Ext. 341 Cell: 609-203-3996
Cindy.Urken@CBMoves.com
Graduate of Parsons School of Design- Certified Staging Designer
THE STAGE IS SET…! CALL TODAY FOR A STAGING CONSULTATION as
part of YOUR LISTING PROPOSAL!
AND Increase Your Sale Price By As Much As 6.9%
(Based on data from StagedHomes.com)
11
THE CLIMATE PROJECT PRESENTATION
The Climate Project Presentation is an interfaith, informationpacked slide show about the causes and impacts of climate
change. Through credible, accessible science, engaging stories, and theological reflection, participants will learn essential
information about the environmental crisis and how we can
address it. The presentation was created by Al Gore, and is an
up-to-date, faith-based version of the presentation in the film, An Inconvenient Truth.
Please join us at The Jewish Center for this presentation on Wednesday, January 14 at
8:15 p.m. Our presenter will be the Rev. Jenny Phillips, founder of Creation Change, a
United Methodist non-profit organization that equips people of faith for dynamic
response to our changing environment. Her work helps people of faith see their own
encounters with God in nature reflected through Hebrew and Christian scriptures.
Rev. Phillips has been trained by Al Gore to present a faith-based version of his slide
show from the film, An Inconvenient Truth. She is a 2007 National Council of Churches
Eco-Justice Fellow. Jenny has a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in
New York City and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
A Message from Linda Meisel, LCSW, Executive Director Jewish Family &
Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County
Dear Congregants,
The following programs are available to all members of our Jewish community:
Project Re-Employment – A three session workshop focused on job transition,
resume review, personal self assessment and related skills to promote successful
reentry into the job market. The next session begins December 5 at 10 a.m.
Connections – A weekly educational workshop that will provide an opportunity
to discuss important issues such as how to manage your money when you do not
have a job, how to tell your children and how to manage your marriage during
the stress of unemployment. The series begins December 4 at 7 p.m.
Hebrew Free Loan Society – A program that can provide individuals and families with interest free loans.
Kosher Food Pantry – A resource that is available to help families in need
stretch their food dollars.
To enroll in any of these programs, please contact Jewish Family and Children’s
Service of Greater Mercer County and ask for Debra Levenstein at 609-987-8100
or via email at debral@jfcsonline.org
We know that families are hurting – WE ARE YOUR JEWISH 9-1-1 and we are
here to help. if you have a neighbor or a friend who needs our services, please
encourage them to call so that we can provide the caring and support they need.
12
UPDATE ON TJC
ADMINISTRATION STAFFING
AND RESOURCES
During this transition period following
Linda Park’s departure, we are committed
to continue providing excellent service to
our congregants and staff. Our efforts are
already underway on a long-term arrangement to best meet the administrative
needs at TJC. Our goals, as always, are to
provide effective administrative services to
our staff and congregants, support our
staff so they can do their best work, and
manage our budgets wisely.
Please refer to this directory of people to
contact for your various administrative
needs and questions:
• Room reservations and calendar issues:
Susan Falcon (sjfalcon@earthlink.net) or
609-279-9774.
• General inquiries about Jewish Center
resources and staff: Maryann Yarin
(myarin@thejewishcenter.org) or 609-9210100 x201
• Newsletter submissions: Gil Gordon
(gil@gilgordon.com) or 732-329-2266
• Billing or budget questions: Alan
Hofmann (ahofmann@thejewishcenter.org)
or 609-921-0100 x211 or Judy Gottfried
jgottfried@thejewishcenter.org or 609921-0100 x204
• B’nai Mitzvah program assistance: Gila
Levin (glevin@thejewishcenter.org) or
609-921-0100 x208
• Youth and family programming: Neil
Wise (nwise@thejewishcenter.org) or 609921-0100 x209
As always, all of our other staff and lay
leaders are happy to assist you in any ways
possible.
For the long-term management of our
administrative needs, we will be recruiting
for an administrative manager whose main
duties will include:
- Oversight of use and maintenance of
the physical facilities
- Oversight of ongoing office functions
- Contractor/vendor management
- Safety and security
- Building and kitchen use/rentals
- Computer systems and telecommunications
If you are aware of anyone who might be
interested in a position like this and has
directly related experience, please contact
Gil Gordon for more information. Also,
please note that our policy (as is the case
in most synagogues) is to not hire from
among our current congregants.
“Acts of kindness
are among those
things that have no
limits.” Mishnah Peah 1
Bikur Cholim
The Bikur Cholim Committee provides a variety of functions
which help our Jewish Center family in need. We are comprised of
a group of people ready to assist when a fellow congregant requires
help due to an illness or disability. The kinds of things we've done
for one another in the past and are planning for the future are:
*sending get well cards to congregants
*driving people to and from hospital procedures
*picking up medicine from the pharmacy
*supermarket shopping
*bringing meals
*visiting people in the hospitals and in the senior care facilities
*organizing a blood drive
*doing errands
*New* *We are able to provide rides to and from Shabbat services.
We ask that if you or a family member are hospitalized that you
call The Jewish Center office and let us know. The Office will then
notify Alison and Margie, Co-chairs of the Bikur Cholim Committee,
and an email will go to the entire committee asking for volunteers
to make a hospital visit or do whatever may be helpful.
Please call Alison Politziner, (609) 924-3066, or Margie Atwater,
(732) 398-9761, for more information.
13
Letters From Israel
BY PETER SMITH
Ruins of the Last Days
[TJC member Peter Smith, husband of
Louise Sandburg, was on a six month
assignment to Israel and lived in Haifa
while there. Here is the next of his occasional series of Letters from Israel.]
ADVENTURES IN GROCERY
SHOPPING
A trip to the local supermarket is a
comedy of errors. I have no idea what
I’m buying half the time when all the
labels are in Hebrew. Of course the
basics are easy - a loaf of bread is a loaf of
bread in any language. That said, there
is a bewildering variety of breads and
sticky buns to consider: several challahs,
baguettes, shiny croissants, and black
breads. What to choose? This is easy.
Milk is another easy one - there are numbers on the cartons which I take to be
the fat content, but if they’re not I’m in
trouble. So far so good. It’s the fine
points that escape me. There are four
kinds of margarine - help! All the
cheeses are white. What is this strange
purple and orange chopped stuff? There
are freezer loads of prepared and breaded
- things. Some of these are labeled in
big letters “60%”. 60% of what? Where’s
the tofu? (That’s a good one.)
Is this yogurt or cream?
Both pictures look the same.
This must be goat milk
because the picture looks like
a goat (I think) and it costs a
lot more than regular milk
but who knows? I could ask
even if it is somewhat embarrassing and I do try, but my
experience is that the locals
are at a loss to make such fine
distinctions in English.
Perhaps it is as much a mystery in Hebrew. There are some labels
with a few English words (“Corn Flakes”)
but these items cost twice as much as
local ones. One time I was choosing what
brand of strawberry jam to get. I got that
far but I was obviously struggling to go
the next step and make the choice. The
friendly guy next to me said, here, this
brand is good, the price is great, and he
was buying a dozen to sell in his own
store, and then told me that the jar I held
was for sugar-free for diabetics.
So what else do I need? Ah, of course,
fresh fruits. Off to the produce section.
The apples are tiny and the bananas are
too (I sound so American). But the
peaches are huge, and don’t come from
South America. You would think in this
land of miraculous desert farming and
irrigation, squeezed orange juice would
be common and in the supermarket
there are large cases of fresh squeezed
juice or at least its look-alike. But I
can’t quite get it right in the food courts,
and I am learning to like the metallic
overtones of Orangina.
Price reductions are another puzzle two for one? Is that what the sign says?
I think so. Four for 100 NIS? OK,
sounds good. But it often turns out that
to get these discounts you have to have a
store card, and they can’t give me card
because I am not a permanent resident,
so I end up borrowing a card from the
person next in line with much gesturing
and smiling and grimacing. This
assumes you actually get to the cash register. There is always someone in line in
front of me who is arguing loudly and
interminably over a few NIS. Or there is
a shortage of plastic bags for the mountains of food that some folks buy.
You don’t have to go to one of the
Canyons - everything is here. Clothes,
underwear, linens, cosmetics, electronics, shoes, and pots and pans. (Canyons
is Haifa-ese for malls because they are
built on the precipitous slopes of the
mountain and it is a fitting term since
they are usually several levels high with
great gaping atriums.) Fortunately,
men’s clothes are S, M and L so I don’t
have to know my numeric sizes. I try to
go shopping on Friday mornings - it is
worth putting up with the crowds
because there are so many free samples
being given away that with careful planning I will not need lunch. This is just as
well since I’m not quite sure what I actually did get for lunch.
14
Todah Rabbah
The congregation acknowledges with
deep appreciation and gratitude the following individuals who participated in
our services during the months of
November and December 2008.
Torah Readers
Judith Klimoff, Susan Falcon, Bruce
Reim, Rebecca Goldman, Adam
Schwartz, Jordan Roth, Seth Lapidow,
Corey Thompson, Elliott Golden, Adam
Scheer, Abigail Sage, Jason Kay, Walter
Schwimmer, Jacob Lichtblau, Emily
Feuer, Michele Alperin, Bob Lebeau,
Larry Epstein, Helaine Abramson,
Craig Abramson, Ross Abramson, Rabbi
Bob Freedman, Samantha Wagner,
Deborah Kestenbaum, Lou Klimoff,
Jonathan Taratuta-Titus, Rachel
Taratuta-Titus, Danielle Blick, Andrea
Silverstein, Gilda Aronovic, Ann
Sarnak, Sandy Kutin, Lou Piels, Sarah
Gooen Chen, Molly Chen, Alex Costin,
Leah Falcon, Jacob Kaufman, Deborah
Marinsky, Marielle Kirstein, Eric Zutty,
Reina Gabai, Brian Zecher, Rob
Schapire, Jeni Schapire, Sophia
Eisenberg, Marilyn Schapira, Summer
Pramer, Barbara Abramson, Gila Levin,
Jennifer Morgenstern, Bob Weber,
Donna Gabai, Hadas Zeilberger,
Harrison Paszamant, Ilana Atwater,
Tobi Afran, Gail Rose and Margalit
Schindler.
An Opportunity to Honor or Remember
a Loved One: New Siddurim
To better accommodate our growing numbers of Shabbat service attendees we would like to provide more siddurim for our congregants and
guests. Please help us do so by providing for the purchase of one or
more siddurim at $35 each. We will place a dedication bookplate with
wording you choose to honor a special friend, family member, or event,
or to remember a loved one.
Please contact Maryann Yarin in the TJC office for details myarin@thejewishcenter.org or 609-921-0100 ext. 201.
Haftarah Chanters
Corey Thompson, Jacob Lichtblau,
Ross Abramson, Rachel Taratuta-Titus,
Molly Chen, Marielle Kirstein, Michele
Alperin, Jeni Schapire, Hadas
Zeilberger, Shellye Echeverria and
Frankie Echeverria.
Daveners
Gil Gordon, Sher Leiman, Larry
Epstein, Al Klein, Martha Himmelfarb,
Rabbi Bob Freedman, Elliot Golden,
Jacob Lichtblau, Emily Feuer, Ross
Abramson, Danielle Blick, Molly Chen,
Eric Zutty, Sophia Eisenberg and
Harrison Paszamant.
If you would like to chant a Torah portion or a Haftarah, please contact
Cantor Simon at (msimon@thejewishcenter.org) or his assistant, Larry
Epstein at (lse08520@yahoo.com).
15
Heh Mitzvah Mall Photos
Need Kippot?
Kippot for your weddings or
Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations are
available in a variety of colors and
fabrics. Color swatches are available for your review in the Gift
Shop. Prayer benchers are also
available in a variety of styles, and
they too are available for you to see
in the Gift Shop. Orders take four
weeks to process, so plan ahead
and order early! Hours for ordering are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!
Please call Gail Alba at (609) 2750469.
Rosh Hodesh:
It’s A Girl Thing!
2009 Calendar
All meetings will take place at The Jewish Center
* 8th graders will meet from 6 - 7 p.m. followed by
dinner from 7 - 7:30 p.m.
* 9th graders will begin with dinner from 7- 7:30 p.m.
followed by the gathering from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
CHANGE OF PLANS!! NEW DATE!!
REJOICE•RENEW•RELAX
TJC WOMEN'S RETREAT
AGE 13 AND UP
Friday, April 24 Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 27 (Shevat)
Thursday, February 19 (Adar)
Thursday, March 26 (Nisan)
Thursday, April 23 (Iyar)
Tuesday, May 26 (Sivan)
To sign up for Rosh Hodesh: It’s A Girl’s Thing,
please watch your mail for more information or
contact Rabbi Tucker, (609-921-0100 ext. 213,
atucker@thejewishcenter.org.)
16
We’ve taken the time to rethink our strategy for creating a
weekend retreat for members of our congregation. We learned
from other synagogues that some of the most successful
retreats were more focused on a specific group rather than the
entire congregation. Given the success of women's programming at TJC, we thought a women's retreat is a good place to
start. With the decline in the economy, we also thought that
the expense of one or two family members attending is more
affordable than for a family of four or five.
Strengthen your connection to your synagogue community
while rejuvenating your spirit at the beautiful Pearlstone
Retreat Center in the countryside of Maryland just a few hours
from Princeton. Take a break from your routine and enjoy a
cozy, relaxing and spiritual weekend with Rabbi Tucker and
other women from TJC. More details on cost and programming
will follow in the months ahead.
Contributions
We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who
support The Jewish Center by remembering
and honoring friends and loved ones through
their generous contributions.
General
By Barbara Feinstein, mother of Nadivah
Greenberg
In honor of
Jacob Lichtblau becoming a Bar Mitzvah
from the Executive Committee
Rabbi Adam Feldman, Rabbi Annie Tucker and Gila
Levin
from the Blick family
Birth of Celia Madeline Max, granddaughter of
Judy and Mike Leopold
from David and Joan Rosenfeld
Mollie Chen becoming a Bat Mitzvah
from Martha Friedman and Harold Heft
In memory of
Henia Shylit
from Sharon Shylit
Arnold Liebman
from Martha Liebman
Jeanette Kraut
from Nancy and William Goldstein
Bernie Morgenstern
from Samuel and Debra Morgenstern
Edith Ales
from Gabriella, Joseph and Jon Shavel
Bela Moskowitz
from Livia Shagam
Sara Warshawsky
from Matthew and Debra Kestenbaum
Rebecca Kaufman
from Dr. Kenneth Kaufman
Anna Levine
from Robert and Judith Levine
Louis and Ida Shavel
from Matty and Hedy Shavel
Henry Menken
from Matthew and Karen Menken
Ida Friedman
from Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Friedman
Lillian Weber
from Alan and Debbie Tipermas
Florence Bloom
from Joe and Lynn Silverstein
Charles Hirsh
from William and Ellen Hirsh Hartman
Minna Wagner
from Mark and Carol Pollard
Chaim Papernik
from Anne Jaffe
Norman Perlman
from Michael and Lori Feldstein, the Jewish
Center Board of Directors, Jill and Gregg
Kaufman, Carol Novinson and Frank Costello
Adult Education
Nursery Playground Fund
In honor of
In memory of
Caroline Sigal and Barbara Snyder becoming B’not
Mitzvah
from Barbara Snyder & Leonard Sigal
Robert Schwartz
from Ellen and George Pristach
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Cantor’s Music Fund
In honor of
Mark and Elana Tenenzapf
Rabbi Feldman and Gila Levin
from Edna and Shai Noiman
Rabbi Feldman
from Lois Shindelman
In honor of
Cantor Murray Simon
from the Blick family, Lee and Charles Brunswick
In memory of
Children’s Library
In honor of
Birth of Sandy and Judy Kutin’s daughter Paula
Grace
from Marci and David Lieberman
Birth of Celia Max, granddaughter of Michael and
Judy Leopold
Birth of Layla, granddaughter of Michael and
Luanne Lebwohl
Helen Silverstein
from Meg and Howard Kahn, Alan and
Debbie Tipermas
Edith Ales
from Elliot and Marsha Freeman, Seva and
Peter Kramer
Religious School
In honor of
Mitzvah
Feldstein Israel Travel Scholarship Fund
In honor of
Michael Feldstein
from Edna and Shai Noiman
Ruth Feldstein and Nat Feldstein
from Marsha and Elliot Freeman
In memory of
Allen Weber
from Judith Axelrod and family
Babette Hirsch
Gould Nursery Scholarship Fund
Religious School Professional
Development Fund
In honor of
Fran Amir and the Religious School teachers
from the Blick family
Birth of Fran and Assaf Amir’s granddaughter
Morgan
Shabbat Luncheon Fund
By Barbara Feinstein, mother of Nadivah
Greenberg
In honor of
Social Concerns
Birth of Joan Levin’s grandson Benjamin
From Judith Axelrod and family
In honor of
In memory of
Mitzvah
Mark Levin
Torah Repair Fund
High Holiday Bimah Flowers
In memory of
Gloria Shavel
from Matt, Doug, and Jon Shavel, and Merrye
Shavel Hudis
In memory of
Dora R. Rosenthal and Benjamin M. Rosenthal
from Maxine Lampert
Steven Samuel Sherman
from Blanche Sherman
Jewish Center Women
In memory of
Helen Silverstein
from Alan and Debbie Tipermas
Katrina Fund
In memory of
Renee Gothelf
from Ricky and AJ Shechtel
New Siddur
With gratitude to our mentor and friend, Rena Klein
from Beverly Surrey and Judy Klimoff
My family and I are grateful
to the Jewish Center community for your many kind
expressions of sympathy on
the passing of my sister
Louise.
Will Bynes
17
Brought to You by the Israel Affairs Committee of The Jewish Center of Princeton
Sunday, February 8 at 4:30 p.m.
THE JEWISH CENTER OF PRINCETON
PRESENTS A TALK BY
MAYOR CORY A. BOOKER
“The Importance of a Strong
US/Israel Relationship”
The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of the City of Newark, a strong supporter of Israel, a brilliant orator and a rising star in American
politics will speak about US/Israel relations.
Mayor Booker has begun work on realizing a bold vision for Newark. His mission is to set a national standard for urban transformation
by marshalling the city’s resources to achieve security, economic abundance and an environment that is empowering for individuals
and families. As of July 1, 2008, Newark led the nation among large cities for reductions in shootings and murders, achieving decreases of more than 40% in both categories. Under Mayor Booker’s leadership, the City of Newark has committed to a $40 million transformation of the City’s parks and playgrounds through a groundbreaking public/private partnership.
Mayor Booker has been recognized in numerous publications, including, among others, Time, Esquire, New Jersey Monthly, Black
Enterprise and The New York Times.
Mayor Booker received his B. A. and M. A. from Stanford University, a B. A. in Modern History at Oxford University as a Rhodes
Scholar, and completed his Law degree at Yale University.
NOTE: Admission to this event is free, but RSVP is required. To RSVP please email <israeliaffairs@thejewishcenter.org> with your
name and number of people attending – or call The Jewish Center at 609-921-0100 x200. Thank you!
The Jewish Center of Princeton
The Israel Affairs Committee
February 2 at 8:00 p.m. at McCarter Theatre
presents
The Batsheva Dance Company
The Batsheva Dance Company, Israel's leading contemporary dance company, is performing at
McCarter Theatre at 8 p.m. We have reserved a block of tickets for the congregation. There will be a
gathering with Israeli food at 6 p.m. at a private residence in Princeton. We will send out directions
with the tickets.
To reserve your tickets, please enclose a check for $60 per person by January 5 with this form to The
Jewish Center, Attn: Israel Affairs at 435 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08540. Please enclose a stamped
self-addressed envelope.
Name: ____________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
E-mail address: _______________________________________________
Number of tickets: _____
Payment enclosed: ____________
Number attending the pre-performance gathering: ____________
18
SAVE THE DATE
The 2009
M. Egger Shabbato
n
e
l
n
El
will be held February 20-22
This year’s featured guest is
Rabbi Arthur Green
Rector of the Rabbinical School
at Hebrew College in Boston
Rabbi Green’s theme will be
“Jewish Mystical Tradition
in our Contemporary World”
Silver Circle
Programs
Save the Dates
January 11
Dinner and
Entertainment
February 17
Breakfast with
Rabbi Feldman
April - Trip
(Details to be
announced)
May - Breakfast program
June - Picnic
Watch for full details in the February newsletter!
There’s only one important
move left: selecting the right
attorney.
Hanan M. Isaacs, Esq. —
“Compassionate Counsel;
Tough Advocate.”
We bring over 28 years of experience,
and provide you with advice you
can trust.
❖ Family Law
❖ Civil Rights/Employment
Litigation
❖ Real Estate and Business
Litigation
❖ Criminal Law/Municipal Court
❖ Mediation and Arbitration of
Divorce, Family, and General
Civil Disputes
19
Adult Education
Winter/Spring 2009 / 5769
A Word from the Adult Education Co-Chairs:
The Adult Education Committee is issuing a brochure on
events and classes for Winter/Spring 2009. In addition to
the brochure, there will be regular updates in the newsletter and weekly emails to the congregation. The contents
of the brochure, including ongoing classes and any new
programs will also be posted on the TJC web site.
In this article, we want to highlight new classes starting
in January and early February. These include an advanced
Hebrew reading class taught by Larry Epstein and a class
on mysticism taught by Rabbi Bob Freedman. The Egger
Shabbaton will feature Rabbi Arthur Green speaking about
"Jewish Mystical Tradition in our Contemporary World."
Many people have expressed interest in Jewish mysticism.
Rabbi Freedman will teach an introductory class on Jewish
mysticism in five sessions. This is an opportunity to learn
about a part of Judaism that is often neglected and to prepare for the upcoming Shabbaton.
Rabbi Silverman will also be starting a new class, with the
topic to be announced.
Leslie Gerwin and Jane LeGrange
Hebrew Reading Tune-Up with Larry Epstein
Thursdays: February 5,12,19,26 and March 5
from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
One of TJC's most intense and rewarding programs of study is
our two year adult B’nai Mitzvah course, beginning again this
fall. Culminating in a Shabbat morning service led by members of the class, this wonderful program involves weekly study
sessions with our clergy, Hebrew language instruction, training
in Torah cantillation, and more. Most important, the program
lets participants develop close relationships with one another
and to reflect on the role that Judaism plays in their life today.
All are welcome regardless of background!
Regular classes will meet from 9-10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings; the class began on November 23rd but you are still welcome to join. The cost for the program is $360/year but money
should not be a barrier to participation - please contact Rabbi
Tucker (atucker@thejewishcenter.org, (609) 921-0100 x213) if
you have concerns about fees.
20
NEW!
WINTER-SPRING COURSES
starting in January:
In addition to our regular classes, Adult Education will
start a new tradition at the Jewish Center called “Sundays
at TJC”. This will include our new film series, lectures
about Israel, TJC Reads, and events with a storyteller.
“Sundays at TJC” is a new and exciting project designed
to bring the very best in cultural and educational programming to the Jewish Center's adult population on a regular
basis. We believe that in addition to being our spiritual
home, TJC should be a place for ongoing intellectual
exchange about the ideas and issues that are important to
the global Jewish community.
A joint undertaking of the Adult Education and Israel
Affairs Committees, the goal of the project is to provide
congregants with diverse and stimulating programs that
represent excellence in adult Jewish learning. Our
approach to meeting this goal involves screening and discussing films, hosting lectures and panel discussions, and
engaging congregants in critical reading programs led by
some of the areas top Judaic Studies scholars. We hope to
expand the program in the future as it becomes an integral
facet of TJC's communal culture.Programs are provided
free to members of The Jewish Center and their guests.
The following list is a partial list of the programs we are
offering. Look for our new brochure and check the website for a complete listing.
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism: the
Kabbalah with Rabbi Bob Freedman
Mondays: January 26, February 2,9, 23 and March 2,
from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m.
What is a sefirah? What are the sparks of holiness that need
to be redeemed and where can I find them? How did creation
begin and where is it going? What does it mean when my
spiritual advisor tells me that I need to strengthen my gevurah? What is the Zohar? Answers to these questions and
many, many more are given by Kabbalah, Jewish "received
wisdom" that maps spiritual realms and provides guidance for
their use. This course will give you an introduction to the system (the "tree of life" and the "four worlds"), glimpses of how
it has been used in its 800-year history (Zohar, the research of
Isaac Luria and his students in S'fat, the Hassidim, modern
kabbalists Art Green and Zalman Schachter-Shalomi), and
some suggestions for further study.
TJC FILM SERIES
Come view Jewish-themed films and discuss them with
noted speakers on the film's topic. All programs at 4 p.m.:
January 25: TOOTS. An award-winning documentary by
Kristi Jacobson about the legendary Manhattan saloonkeeper
and friend of the stars.
Guests: Jacobson and Danielle DiGiacomo, the film’s distributors, will speak.
February 22: TBA
March 15: Orthodox Stance. For the last 60 years, the term
“Jewish boxer” has been an oxymoron. But Dmitriy Salita, a
25 year-old Russian immigrant, is making history as a top professional boxer and a rigorously observant Jew. While providing an intimate, three-year long look at the trials and tribulations faced by an up and coming professional boxer, Orthodox
Stance is a portrait of seemingly incompatible cultures and
characters working together to support Dmitriy's rare and
remarkable devotion to both Orthodox Judaism and the pursuit of a professional boxing title. In the end, the film is about
more than just boxing and religion, but a young man's search
for meaning in life. For more information: (www.orthodoxstance.com)
Guest: The filmmaker
April 19: (tentative) Documentary on Immigration to Israel
from the Muslim World
Guests: TBA
"The Bible through Literary Eyes"
Instructor: Gary Rendsberg, Rutgers
University
Eight Tuesday evenings 7- 9:30 p.m.
January 27, February 3, 10, 24, March 3, 17, 24, 31
Tuition payable to Hebrew College: $495.
One of the major developments in biblical studies during
the past thirty years has been a marked increase in attention to the literary artistry of the Bible - with a concomitant decrease in attention to historical and theological matters. This course will seek to bring the many lines of scholarly inquiry concerning the literary aspects of the Bible
into coherent focus. We will discuss the orality of the text,
describe how people in ancient Israel read the literature,
and survey a host of literary-linguistic devices. Among the
texts to be studied are the creation accounts, episodes within the Abraham and Jacob narratives, the Joseph story, sections of the legal and cultic material from the Torah, the
stories of Rahab, Deborah and Yael, and David and
Bathsheba, and (to give a sampling of poetry) portions of
the Song of Songs.
If you have any questions about the classes, please contact
Moshe Margolin <mmargolin@hebrewcollege.edu> or 646472-5390.
Sunday Story Telling
Sunday, April 26 4-6 p.m.:
ME'AH AT TJC
Instructor: Jenna Weissman Joselit, Princeton
University
Spring Reading Series
The Short Stories of S.Y. Agnon
with Dr. James Diamond of Princeton University
Eight Monday evenings 7- 9:30 p.m.
February 2, 9, 23, March 2, 16, 23, 30, April 6
Tuition payable to Hebrew College: $495.
Sunday, May 10 4 to 6 p.m.:
These advanced classes are designed for graduates of Hebrew
College's Me'ah program. If you are not a Me'ah graduate, you
must get permission from Rabbi Feldman to take either of the
classes.
"Jewish People: Up Close and Personal"
Modern Jewish history is not just the stuff of large-scale
social phenomena; it is also the finely grained story of people
whose stories bear witness to the complexities of modern
Jewish life. Over the course of the semester, we will spend time
in the company of a fascinating group of individuals, some of
whom are household names and others a well kept secret.
Each week, we will meet up with a different personality whom
we'll come to know intimately through their memoirs, autobiographies, diaries, novels and the occasional documentary.
Taken together, their lives will both animate and deepen our
understanding of Jewish history and those who have.
Spring Reading Series
The Short Stories of Grace Paley
with Dr. Alisa Braun of Hebrew College
Shabbat Bible BaBoker (Bible in the Morning)
with Rabbi Annie Tucker
Every Shabbat Morning
from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m.
Come join our weekly Shabbat morning discussion of
Parashat HaShavua (the weekly Torah portion). Filled
with lively exploration and debate of the Torah's many wonderful (and often challenging) stories and themes, our Bible
BaBoker group has been meeting for two years and always
welcomes new participants regardless of background.
Study with us every week or whenever you can make it! We
look forward to learning together.
21
YOUTH DEPARTMENT UPDATE:
GROWING AND THRIVING!
This month we
celebrate our
youth during
Teen/USY Shabbat
on January 31, when our Teens and
USY members will participate in our
Shabbat services. We take great pride
in the growth of our youth groups and
invite you to celebrate the participation of our youth in Jewish life and
activities. In addition to our active
youth groups, our TJC teens are
madrichim in our religious school and
camp counselors at various Jewish
camps. These experiences make our
teens role models for our younger children. We look forward to our annual
youth theater production, which this
year will be a combination of two comedy plays. Our Grade 3 through 12 students will join together for this production. All of these activities lead to
the creation of a community of youth
connected by their Judaism.
On Wednesday, November 26, more
than 80 students from The Jewish
Center participated in youth programs
at our synagogue. The growth of our
programs for our youth is in part due
USY - Grades 8th thru 12th
USY, United Synagogue Youth, provides
the highest level of programming for high
school youth from grades 8th thru 12th.
USY challenges our youth to strengthen
their religious, cultural, and communal
commitments, to develop leadership
skills, achieve higher levels of responsibility, both personally and as a member of the
community and to do it all while having a
great time! In the process, students form
friendships which last a lifetime and store
many cherished memories. Membership
in USY provides the opportunity to participate in all chapter activities and numerous regional events including several conventions throughout the year. Our award
winning chapter was recognized in several
areas of programming at last year’s
Regional Spring Convention.
22
to the commitment of our Youth and
Family committee, chaired by Jason
Kay and Linda Rosenberg, and our
dedicated youth group advisors, Ronit
Johnson (Haverim), Elizabeth Skale
(Kadima), and our USY president
Caralyn Reiff.
The other component we cannot
leave out of the equation for the success of our youth groups is our parents. Without the trust of our parents
in this institution and the encouragement they give their children to participate, we would not be having this
kind of success. There is no doubt that
our children and families are pulled in
many directions with many other
activities. I applaud those parents who
set Jewish involvement as a priority,
and allow their children to participate
in the youth events. We know that
being a parent is the toughest job one
can have and being a Jewish parent
creates even more challenges.
Youth Programs
Youth Theater
January 4 - Parent Meeting
January 4, 11, 25 - Rehearsals
February 1, 8, 22 - Rehearsals
March 1- Show
March 15 - Greenwood House
Visit
Youth Groups
Haverim (Grades 3 & 4)
January 10 - Mitzvah Program
Kadima (Grades 5 - 7)
January 10 - Scavenger Hunt
USY (Grades 8 through 12)
January 4 - USY Meeting
January 23-24 Regional
Shabbaton at Adath Jeshurun
January 24 - Adath Jeshurun
Regional Dance
January 31 - USY/Teen Shabbat
I hope to see you at Teen/USY
Shabbat so we can celebrate our
future together.
Neil Wise
KADIMA - Grades 5th thru 7tth
Kadima offers 5th thru 7th graders the
opportunity to participate with other
Jewish children in an informal social
atmosphere. Participation is sure to instill
positive feelings in your child about his or
her Jewish identity, as well as open the
opportunity for new friendships and a lot
of fun. Kadima offers a varied schedule of
social activities, holiday celebration, and
community service events. In addition to
our program, the Kadima chapter participates in regional activities. Our youth will
meet other Jewish 5th thru 7th graders
from all over New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
and Delaware.
HAVERIM - Grades 3rd & 4th
Haverim, invites all 3rd and 4th graders
to join together once each month for an
afternoon of fun with other Jewish children. Haverim is designed to provide the
group with fun activities while promoting
the opportunity for making friendships
that will grow stronger through their
youth group years. Members will participate in social activities, community service events and holiday celebrations.
Sustainability
Corner
A conversation about sustainability overheard at Matt and Suki’s house:
Matt: Are you writing the newsletter
again Suki? I guess this means it’s time
for us to exchange some semi-witty banter
about sustainability and our marriage.
Suki: Sorry Matt, no can do this month.
I need all the space to update folks on the
exciting upcoming and recent sustainability events at the TJC.
1. Upcoming Speaker on The WE Project
and Climate Change: Ms. Jennifer Philips,
especially selected to be trained as part of
Al Gore’s WE climate change project, will
speak on January 14 about what we can
each do to protect the earth’s climate.
Thanks to Naomi Perlman for arranging
this speaker. (Please see information in
this issue for time and place.)
2. Upcoming JCW / Sustainability
Committee Organic Cooking Demonstration:
Mark your calendars for January 15 and
learn to cook delicious organic food from a
chef from the Kosher Tomato. Hosted by
Cyndi Kleinbart.
SAVE THE DATE!
TJC Teen Shabbat
Lunch and Speaker
for teens following services
More information to follow
3. Sukkot Expert Panel on Eco-Friendly
Home Renovations
A lively discussion planned by
architect/congregant Joshua Zinder and
led by local “green” building experts and
architects had the following main themes:
• Any home improvement, large or small,
can be done in a sustainable way. Whether
it’s new carpet, paint, windows, tiles,
upgrading your energy sources, building a
new room, buying new fixtures or appliances, etc. there is a sustainable and usually affordable way to do it.
• There are many local green experts
(sustainable merchants, builders, architects) who can help you make the right
choices. A list of these resources and websites will be posted on TJC’s website.
4. Recent Organic Garden Planning
Meeting: An action plan was created, with
expert input from Liz Cutler (creator of
the Princeton Day School garden), and
now all that is needed is gardening volunteers. Please email Mik Rosenthal at
ingatherer@earthlink.net if you could offer
a few hours to build and/or plan the garden. The food from the garden will be
donated to local food pantries.
23
ISRAELI AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE
Why Does the US Need Israel?
On November 30, 2008 at The Jewish
Center, Kevin Gilday explained that he
realized how much the US needs Israel
when he was a member of the US Army
Special Forces. His most reliable intelligence came from Israel as did many of the
technological innovations that keep us safe
today. Many our military personnel support Israel. The most reliable ally of the
US is Israel.
Why do the Jewish People need Israel?
On December 7, 2008, Esther Robbins
from Princeton University’s Department of
Near Eastern Studies presented “Letters to
America” as part of the Hebrew Film
Series. Naomi Vilko led a discussion about
this film that told the heart-breaking story
of a ten-year-old boy in Tel Aviv in the early
60’s, whose parents were both Holocaust
survivors. The film shows how the
Holocaust adversely affects the lives of the
next generation and how hard it was for
the survivors to move beyond their terrible
memories and live in the present. We need
Israel to stay safe.
We are Still in Danger! We are All
Indians Now!
In India, Jews were targets as were US citizens and Britons. Why? The terrorists
went to great lengths to find Jews in an
obscure Chabad house in India. It is not
because of Israel. Rather, radical Muslims
hate us because of what we represent...they
hate our freedom, especially for women
and other religions, our diversity and our
success. Do not think for a minute of
believing the excuses of the terrorists’ propaganda. Do not blame Israel for radical
Islam. The world needs Israel.
The S.S. St. Louis: Have we Learned our
Lesson as American Jews?
In May 1938 a ship with 936 passengers
left Germany with permission to enter
Cuba. They were turned away. The ship
came to the coast of the Florida, but the
US government did not allow the passengers to enter the US. There was no Israel to
which they could sail. They were sent back
to Germany and most were killed. There is
a famous quote from a Christian minister
in Prague who said, “First they came for
the Jews... I am not Jewish so I didn’t say
anything; next they came for the Gypsies,
then the Homosexuals, then the
Communists... Then they came for me and
there was no one left to protest.” We need
to speak in defense of Israel.
24
Let us recognize the gift we have received
from the blood and sweat of our friends
and relatives. We have the state of Israel, a
tiny country in a sea of hostile neighbors,
defending itself against terrorism and
destruction for sixty years. Is Israel perfect?
Of course not! But it has been a safe haven
for millions of refugees from all over the
world. In spite of adverse conditions,
Israelis have accomplished great things in
medicine, science and the humanities.
The Israeli Affairs committee has worked
hard to put together programs highlighting Israel’s achievements. It is remarkable
that two of our speakers are not Jewish, yet
have been tireless in their support of Israel.
Kevin Gilday (an active AIPAC member)
explained how anti-Israel rhetoric is the
new anti-Semitism and how much distortion exists in the media, which often portrays Israel in an unflattering light. Mayor
Cory Booker spoke eloquently at the AIPAC
Summit and many other pro-Israel events
about his connection with Israel. These
men may not share many political views.
AIPAC is a non-partisan organization that
educates members of Congress about the
need for a strong Israel-US relationship.
Maybe if AIPAC existed in the 1930’s our
relatives would still be alive.
Please join us for our many programs:
- Mayor Booker on February 8;
- Neta Bahcall, an Israeli and world
famous scientist, on March 8;
- Israel 21C; a series of discussions about
Mr. Katzner, the Hungarian Jew who
bought the safety of a trainload of
Hungarian Jews and was then on trial in
Israel. Lonny Kaplan, a congregant and
past-president of AIPAC, will speak to us
about AIPAC;
- Programs for Yom Ha’Shoah on April
19, Yom Ha’Zikaron on April 27 and Yom
Ha’ Atzmaut on May 3.
We are not Republicans, Democrats,
Socialists or Independents. We welcome all
programs that highlight Israel’s achievements. Let us honor the memories of
those who died JUST because they were
Jewish, while the world, including the US,
looked the other way. As a congregation,
let us join together and say:
WE ARE ALL ISRAELIS
Joel Schindler and Naomi Vilko,
Co-Chairs
Sustainability
Committee
Organic Garden
The plans to have the Sustainability
Committee’s organic garden at The
Jewish Center are moving forward in
two major ways.
The first will be a meeting in the near
future to plan a possible Tu B’Shevat
Seder to be held in February. This
Seder will raise our consciousness
about the fact that organic gardening
represents the Judaic concept of
tikkun olam - healing the world (in
this case by creating sustainability) and by enabling us to enjoy celebrating Tu B’Shevat together.
The second is that with your help we
will set up a Resource Center to help
congregants connect with each other
online as they create their own organic gardens (small and experimental as
they may be) at their own homes.
This will help form a core group of
congregants who will then help us
construct the organic garden at The
Jewish Center. By starting online first,
we can bring people together to learn
about organic gardening and have
them meet at The Jewish Center, and
at each others’ gardens at various
times to share information and results
in person.
We invite you to begin this process
now! When we have created this infrastructure we can build more quickly to
see our TJC organic garden come to
fruition. Actually, what we are doing
is simultaneously creating a havurah
that will bring us together to focus on
organic gardening and sustainability
and to create friendships we would not
otherwise have.
Please contact Mik Rosenthal,
(ingatherer@earthlink.net) to express
your interests about the possible Tu
B’Shevat Seder, your own organic garden, and the organic garden at The
Jewish Center, and we will start networking immediately!
SAVE THE DATE
“The Sun, the Universe
and Israel:
John and Neta Bahcall”
March 8 at 7 p.m.
This program by Neta Bahcall
will be dedicated to
the memory of John Bahcall.
Neta A. Bahcall is the Eugene Higgins
Professor of Astrophysics at Princeton
University. She is Director of the undergraduate program in astrophysics, and
Director of the Council on Science &
Technology.
John N. Bahcall was the Richard Black
Professor of Natural Sciences at the
Institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton. He was an inspirational mentor and leader to generations of
astronomers. He helped develop astronomy in Israel and trained most of the
current Israeli astronomers, and was
regarded as “The Father of the Hubble
Space Telescope.” He was a highly prolific and creative scientist, and wrote nearly 600 scientific publications and
authored or edited eight scientific books.
Plan to attend this special event and
learn about this wonderful couple and
their lives together.
UPDATE ON FORMER
NURSERY SCHOOL TEACHER
HATTIE GRIFFIN
Many recall with deep affection former
Nursery School teacher, Hattie Griffin, and
often ask me how she is. I speak with
Hattie frequently. She is always eager for
information about her former students who is becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, who is
graduating from high school and college
and who has gotten married. Whenever I
call Hattie, she asks me to hold on the line
for a minute or two while she retrieves her
scrapbook filled with photos of your children. She enjoys looking at the pictures of
the children while I am telling her stories
about them. Hattie has an amazing memory and recalls minute incidences with the
children that brought her much joy.
A month prior to Hattie’s retirement and
move to Florida in 2004, she was diagnosed with an incurable but treatable illness. A fund was set up in her honor to
show our congregation’s appreciation for
the twenty years she taught and nurtured
the children in our Jewish Center’s family.
The purpose of the fund was to help Hattie
defray some of the costs of her ongoing
medical care. Due to the generosity of so
many congregants, this fund has been
instrumental in making the quality of her
life more manageable.
Now the fund is nearly depleted but Hattie’s
medical expenses continue. When you are a
making a donation to The Jewish Center,
please consider a donation to the Hattie
Griffin Fund. This will ensure that The
Jewish Center’s commitment to Hattie to
assist her in her time of need can continue.
Shalom,
Joan Levin
joanrlev@yahoo.com
Don’t miss out on the next TJC
Israel Family Adventure
“The Trip of a Lifetime”
Led by Rabbi Adam Feldman
& Sara Bucholtz
August 16 - 28
Highlights include
•Round trip Airfare on El Al
from Newark to Tel Aviv
•Overnight stays in Tzfat, Jerusalem and a
Bedouin tent
•Extensive touring and programming
in Tel Aviv, the mystical city of Tzfat, Tiberias,
the Golan Heights, Haifa, Ein Gedi and a
week in Jerusalem where we will explore
the incredible history and spirituality
in Israel’s capital.
•Special B’nai Mitzvah celebration
at the Western Wall
•An archeological dig in Beit Guvrin
•A cruise on the Sea of Galilee
•Sunrise climb at Masada
•Spending time with Israeli soldiers
and Ethiopian Immigrants
•Volunteer project
•An incredible Shabbat in Jerusalem
The trip is being led and organized by
Keshet: The Center for Educational Tourism
in Israel.
For a detailed itinerary and pricing information, please contact Rabbi Feldman afeldman@thejewishcenter.org.
A BITE OF HEAVEN LLC
GOURMET KOSHER CATERING
FOR ALL OCCASIONS
Under Strict Rabbinical Supervision
PO Box 402 • Hopatcong, NJ 07843
Phone: (973) 770-1330 • Fax: (973) 770-1332
25
PAUL B. PAPIER
P
Papier Photographic
S T U D I O S
papierphoto.com
136 Riverside Drive
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone 609.924.0560
pbp99@yahoo.com
Need A Tallis?
Fabulous Selection for Women and Men
& Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Discount
Prices
732-613-8018
Call for an appointment
www.ekippah.com
Yarmulkas by Amy L.L.C.
Plus Ladies’ Head Coverings & Judaica Gifts
EXPERIENCED TUTOR
Princeton University graduate with Ph.D.
TJC member
ALL GRADE LEVELS, MANY SUBJECTS
Including English, math, French, history, writing, study skills,
homework monitoring
Personalized attention, tailored to your child’s needs
609-921-0792
tutoring.princeton@gmail.com
Educational Coach
SAT I • SAT II - Writing Subject Test
PSAT • SSAT • College Essay Editing
26
609-683-4368
arose70@hotmail.com
Contributions
The Jewish Center is so grateful for the many donations that you give both in
honor of joyous occasions and in memory of beloved family and friends. To make
the logistics easier and the gifting choices clearer, a donor form is printed on the
back of each monthly newsletter. Donor forms are also available in the Main Office.
We thank you for the generosity that goes into each of these donations!
Your name(s) as you would like it to appear in newsletter: __________________________________________________________
Donor’s Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________
❑ In honor of:
Occasion: ❑ In memory of:
Name(s) as you would like it to appear in newsletter: ______________________________________________________________
Send donation acknowledgement card to:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Please remember, acknowledgment cards are sent for contributions of $18 or more. A listing will be posted as you would like it to appear in the
newsletter for any donated amount.)
Amount Enclosed: ______________________
Please indicate your choice below and mail this form and a check to The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08540. If
you are interested in planned giving opportunities, please call Linda Park in The Center Office, 609-921-0100, ext. 205.
Funds
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General
Adult Education
Adult Library
Arts & Cultural Affairs
Biloxi/Katrina Fund
Building Development Fund
Cantor’s Music Fund
Children’s Library
College Connection
Confirmation Class Israel Trip Fund
Cy and Jackie Meisel Nursery
Scholarship Fund
Feldstein Israel Travel Scholarship Fund
Goldie and Motel Bass Social Concerns Fund
Gould Nursery Scholarship Fund
Hattie Griffin Fund
Irving N. Rabinowitz Computer Fund
Israeli Affairs Fund
Jess Epstein Lunch-and-Learn Fund
Jewish Center Women
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LaShir
Men’s Club
Neimark Senior Mitzvah Fund
New Siddur ($35) New Humash ($55)
Nursery School
Nursery Educator’s Enrichment Fund
Nursery Playground Fund
Rabbis’ Discretionary Fund
Religious Affairs
Religious School
Religious School Special Shabbat
Religious School Professional
Development Fund
Ruth Miller School Cultural Fund
Sapoff Art Purchase and Restoration Fund
Shabbat Luncheon Fund
Shabbat Meal for Mourners Fund
Silver Circle Scholarship Fund
Social Concerns
❑
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Steven Levine Special Education Fund
Torah Repair Fund
Youth and Family Programs
Wallack Family Fund
Plaques and Remembrances
❑ Memorial Plaque $350
❑ Tree of Life Leaf $216
(to commemorate a simcha)
Giving Opportunities
❑ Adult Ed Lecture or Series $300-$600
❑ Sponsor a Shabbat Kiddush Luncheon
$1,500 or Shabbat Kiddush $400
❑ Donation toward Youth Lounge
recreational equipment
*Now you can donate through our website. Go to www.thejewishcenter.org and
follow the instructions!
Office:(609) 921-0100 Fax: (609) 921-7531 School: (609) 921-7207
E-Mail: info@thejewishcenter.org
Website: www.thejewishcenter.org
Adam Feldman . . . . . . . . . .Rabbi
Murray E. Simon . . . . . . . . .Cantor
Anne E. Tucker . . . . . . . . . .Rabbi
Dov Peretz Elkins . . . . . . . .Rabbi Emeritus
Fran Amir . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Principal, Religious School
Gayle Z. Wagner . . . . . . . . . .Director, Nursery Program
Gila Levin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ritual Director
Neil Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Director, Youth and Family Programs
Michael Feldstein . . . . . . . .President
Gil Gordon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President-Administration
Bruce Hecht . . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President-Finance
Susan Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President-Education
David Greenberg . . . . . . . . .Vice President-Religious Affairs
Linda Schwimmer . . . . . . . .Recording Secretary
Linda Grenis . . . . . . . . . . . .Past President
28
Deadline for February Newsletter -- January 12
Non Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
435 Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Permit No. 172
Princeton, N.J.
TIME VALUE

January 2009 - The Jewish Center

Transcription

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